Impulse sender



Sept. 12, 1939.

Filed Nov. 4, 1955 FIG.

I N. H. SAUNDERS ET AL IMPULSE SENDER flu-72,596 2 sheets-sheet 1 it condllctors NORMAN H. SAUNDERS HARRY G. EVERS BY MW,

A TTORNE Y.

Sept. 12, 1939. N. H. SAUNDERS ET AL 2,172,596

IMPULSE SENDER Filed Nov. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NORMAN 'H. SAUNDERS BYHARRY G. EVERS A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 12, 1939 IMPULSE SENDER Norman E. Saunders andHai-ry G. Evers, Chicago, Ill., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Associated Electric Laboratories, Inc.; Chicago,

111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 4, 1935, Serial No. 48,159

8 Claims. (61. 177-380) The present invention relates in general to impulse senders and more in particular to impulse senders for use by operators, such as toll operators or operators in semi-automatic exchanges, in controlling the setting of automatic switches. The object of the invention is to produce a reliable and economical impulse sender of this character.

The impulse sender which is the subject matter of the present invention may be considered as an improvement on the impulse sender shown in the Nelson Patent No. 1,614,678, granted January 1B, 1927, and particularly as an improvement on the impulse sender shown in Figs. 6,

7, and 8 of Peterson Patent No. 1,914,383, granted June 20, 1933.

The invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show by means of the usual circuit diagrams suflicient of the equipment involved to enable the invention to be explained and understood.

An operator's impulse sender of the type with which this invention is concerned comprises a set of digit keys, a plurality of storage devices, means for automatically generating impulses, and means for counting impulsesunder control of successive storage devices, together with certain controlling relays. The storage devices may be of the permutational relay type. The impulse generator and the counting means may also consist of relays, as disclosed particularly in the Peterson patent.

In theoperation of an impulse sender such as is described above the operator first sets up the desired number, which may have four digits, for example, by means of her set of digit keys. As each key is depressed the corresponding digit is registered on a relay storage device, the connections from the keys being transferred automatically from one storage device to the next, so that successive digits are registered on successive storage devices. The operator then depresses a start key, and from this point on the operation is entirely automatic. The impulse generating relays are started sending atrain of impulses and when the number transmitted corresponds to the setting of ,the first storage device, as determined by the counting means, the sending is stopped, and the control of the counting means is shifted over to the next storage device. After an interval the sending is resumed and the second digit is transmitted the same as the first, the value of the digit being, of course, determined by the setting of the second storage, device. The remaining digits are transmitted the same way and when all are sent the sending is stopped and the storage devices are restored to normal.

The present invention-is concerned only with the impulse generating and counting relays and certain controlling relays directly associated therewith, and consequently a complete operators sender has not been shown in the drawings.

There is shown in Fig. 1 the impulse generating relays I05--I01, and certain controlling relays I-I04, and in Fig. 2 the counting relays III-- 6, and control relays I08 and I09 For a disclosure oi the complete sender reliance ishad on the Peterson patent hereinbefore referred to. More specifically, the complete sender is disclosed in Figs. 6 and 7 of Peterson'and in the drawings of the instant case, Figs. 1 and 2 of the latter being substituted for Fig. 8 of Peterson.

The operation of the invention will now be described, it being assumed that the operator has set up a number and depressed thestart key. The depression of the start key results in certain relay operations which bring about the grounding of start conductor 643, Fig. 1, and the closure of the control circuit over which the impulses are to be transmitted. This control circuit includes the conductors 524 and 642, Fig. 1, and extends to the line relay of the switch (first selector) which responds to the first digit of the number. These details are fully disclosed in the Peterson patent hereinbefore referred to.

The grounding of the start wire 643 closes a circuit for relay I05, which energizes and prepares a circuit for relay I06 at I29. Relays I05,

I06, and I01 are the impulse generating relays. The grounding of the start wire also completes a circuit for relay IOI, which energizes after a slight delay, due to the efiect of its short circuited lower winding. This relay is made slow to energize in order to provide time for the selector line relay to become energized. On energizing, relay IOI closes a circuit'at II1 for the upper winding of relay I03, which energizes also.

As a further result of the energization of relay IN the conductor I34 is grounded at IIB. This completes the circuit of relay I 06, which energizes and closes a circuit for relay I01 at I32. Relay I01 accordingly energizes and breaks the circuit of relay I at I33. Relay I05 now falls back and breaks the circuit of" relay I06 at I20,,whereupon relay I06 falls back and breaks the circuit of relay I01 at I32. Relay I01 falling back closes the circuit of relay I05 and this relay again energizes. It will be seen that these three relays will continue operating in this manner automatically. The relays each have a shunt resistance so that they will not operate too fast. The resistances have the proper value to cause the relays to go through a complete cycle of operations about ten times per second, which is the normal rate of impulsing to automatic ground at II8 by way of I34, I30, I31, I43, and

upper winding of relay I08 to battery. Relay I08 energizes and prepares a locking circuit for itself at I40. This locking circuit includes the grounded conductor I34 and the upper winding of relay I09, which is short-circuited as long as conductor I31 is grounded. At the end of the first impulse (ground removed from I31) relay I09 energizes in series with relay I 08 over the latters locking circuit and at I43 shifts the impulse conductor I31 into connection with the lower windings of both relays, which are now both energized. When the second impulse comes in now the lower windings of relays I08 and I09 are energized in parallel. Relay I08 is differentially wound and deenergizes, but relay I09 .is cumulatively wound and is held up by both windings until relay I08 falls back and thereafter by its-lower winding alone so long as conductor I31 remains grounded. This condition endures of course until the end of the second -impulse, whereupon relay I09 falls back. Both relays I 08 and I09 are now in normal deenergized condition, and are ready to repeat their operations responsive to the third and fourth impulses, and again responsive to the fifth and sixth impulses, etc.

Thus it will be seen that relay I 09 energizes at the end of the first impulse and deenergizes at the end or the second impulse, energizes again at the end of the third impulse and deenergizes again at the end of the fourth impulse, and so on. That is, relay I 09 energizes at the end of every odd impulse and deenergizes at the end of every even impulse. Relay I09 controls the counting relays IIIII5 at I42.

Considering the operation of the counting relays, it will be assumed that a. full train of ten impulses are delivered over conductor I31 and the operation will be described.

At the end of the first impulse relay I09 energizes and closes a circuit for relay I II which extends from grounded conductor I34 .by way.

of I42, I51, I54, I50, I41, and winding of III to battery. Relay III energizes and locks itself to grounded conductor I34 at I45, also preparing a circuit for relay I I2 at I44. At the end of the second impulse relay I09 deenergizes and closes a. circuit for relay II2 by way of I I8, I 34, I42, I58, and I44. Relay II2 energizes, locks itself to grounded conductor I34 by way of I50, I56, I53, and I48, unlocks III at I49, and prepares a circuit for relay H3 at I41.

At the end of the third impulse relay I09 energizes and closes a circuit for relay I I3. This relay locks itself at I52, breaks the circuit of relay H2 at I53, and prepares a circuit for relay H4 at I5I. At the end of the fourth impulse relay I09 deenergizes and closes a circuit for relay II4. Relay 4 energizes, locks itself at I55, breaks the locking circuit of relay H3 at 156, and prepares a circuit for relay H5 at I54.

, which energizes and locks itself at ,I62. Relay I I6 prepares a circuit for relay III at I6I but does not unlock relay II5.

At the end of the seventh impulse relay I09 energizes and closes a circuit for relay III, the circuit being the same as previously traced except that it includes contact I 6| instead of I 51 Relay III locks-itself at I45, prepares a circuit for relay II: at I44, and unlocks relay H5 at I46. Relay II5 falls back and closes another point in the circuit of relay H2 at I58. The remaining operations are the same as already described, relay II2 operating at the end of the eighth impulse, relay H3 at the end of the ninth,

and relay II 4 at the end of the tenth.

The primary function of the counting relays is to selectively connect the stop conductor I36 to the digit conductors I, 2, 3, etc., coming from the relay registers; This is done at contacts I10, I, etc. It is obvious from the drawings that relays III to H4 connect conductor I36 withdigit conductors I to 4, respectively, considering the counting operation from the start. Relay I I5 connects up digit conductor 5 at I14, and relays H5 and H6 (bothenergized at the end of the sixth impulse) jointly connect up digit conductor 6 at I14 and 415 As the-counting proceeds relay II6 remains up and relay H5 falls back and the operation of relays I I I to I I4 connects up digit conductors 1 to 0, respectively, since I36 has been switched at I16 from conductor I18 to conductor I19. 1

Since the counting relays are controlled from the same impulse generating relays that produce the impulses or interruptions in the outgoing control circuit, the connecting up of the digit conductors is definitely timed with respect to the transmission of impulses over such control circuit. Consider-the first interruption at I3I, for instance, and the manner of connecting up digit conductor I. Relay I05 falls back to terminate the first impulse to the odd and even relays and simultaneously breaks the circuit of relay I06, which falls back to terminate the interruption by closing I3I. While relay I06 is deenergizing, relay I09 is energizing. The energization of relay I09 is followed by the energization of counting relay III, and it will be seen, therefore, that promptly at the termination of the first interruption the digit conductor I is connected up. It will be obvious that the connection-of digit conductors 2 and 3 takes place concurrently with the termination of the second and third interruptions, and so on.

Returning now to the beginning of the operation of the sender, where the operator depresses the start key, the transmission of several impulse trains corresponding to specific digits will be considered for the purpose of explaining how the digits are terminated and how the necessary 1 time interval between successive impulse trains is produced. When the start key is operated, conductor 643 is grounded, with the result that relays IDS-I] start operating automatically, and with the further result that relays IOI and I03 are energized, all as previously described. Relay I sends impulses to the odd and even relays at I30 and relay I06 produces impulses or interruptions in the outgoing control circuit at I3I.

Assuming now that the first digit of the number being transmitted is the digit 4, the first relay register will have been set in accordance with such digit, and there will be a-ground on digitconductor 4. It' follows that when this digit conductor is connected up to conductor I36 by counting relay H4 at the termination of the fourth interruption produced at I3I, a circuit will be closed for the stop relay I 04, relay I03 being in energized condition so that the circuit is complete at I 25. Relay I 04, on energizing, breaks the circuit of relay I06 at I27, to prevent further operation of relay I06. This definitely terminates the first impulse train at four impulses; corresponding to the first digit 4. Relay I04 also closes a circuit for relay I00.

On energizing relay. I 00 breaks the circuit of relay IOI, which falls back and takes ground oif conductor I34 at II8. This deenergizes any relays in Fig. 2 that may be operated at this time. In the present case this will be relay II4, which falls back. Relay IOI deenergizing also closes a circuit from the grounded start conductor 643 by way of contacts controlled by I I1, I23, and lower windings of relays I02 and I03 in parallel. Relay I03 therefore holds up notwithstanding the breaking of the circuit of its upper winding at In, and relay I02 energizes. Relay I02 places a shunt around impulsing contacts I 3I at I and opens the transfer control conductor 'I5I at I22.

Returning now to the point where the circuit for stop relay I04 was first closed, it will be observed that the grounding of conductor I36 to operate stop relay I04 is also effective to ground conductor 15I. The ground on conductor I36 is removed when the counting relay II4 falls'back following the falling back of relay IOI. Removal of ground from I36 permits relay I04 to fall back and also ungrounds conductor 'I5I. The application and removal of ground to conductor I5I brings about a transferring operation by which the control is shifted from the first relay register to the second. That is, after the transfer the second register, set in accordance with the second digit, determines which one of the conductors I, 2, 3, etc., is grounded.

Continuing now with the operation, when stop relay I04 falls back it breaks the circuit of relay I00, which falls back and again closes the circuit of relay IOI. On energizing, relay IOI closes a circuit, 1, I2I, for holding relay I02 and also breaks the circuit for the lower windings of relays I02 and I03. Relay I03 accordingly falls back while I02 stays energized.

Relay.IOI also again grounds conductor I34 at I I8. This starts the generatingrelays I 05-l0I going again and relay I05 begins to transmit 'the circuit of relay I02, which falls back also.

Relay IOI also removes ground from conductor I34 which permits relays I09 and H6, Fig. 2, to fall back. The deenergization of relay II5 breaks the circuit of relay I04, which falls back and 15 breaks the circuit of relay I00. The latter relay on deenergizing closes the circuit of relay IOI. Relay I M therefore pulls up, operates relay I03, and grounds conductor I34 at H8.

The described operations start all over again my now and a train of impulses corresponding to the second digit of the number is transmitted. The second digit is transmitted the same as the first, except for a possible variation in the time of the operation of the stop relay I04, depending on the value of the second digit. So also with the third digit and the fourth digit. After each digit is transmitted a transfer of control to the next register takes place as mentioned previously herein and as .described in the Peterson patent hereinabove referred to. When the transfer re-. lays associated with the last register are operated, responsive to the grounding and ungrounding of conductor 'I5I, relay operations are initiated which disconnect the control circuit 524642 .5

and take ground off the start wire 643, which stops the operation of the sender.

The invention having been described that which is believedto be new and is desired to have protected by Letters .Patent is set forth in the 40 following claims. v i

What is claimed is:

1. In an impulse sender, an impulse generator, a counting device, a control circuit over which said generator transmits impulses, a circuit over 46 which said generator controls said counting device,.means for starting the generator, means including said counting device for temporarily stopping the generator a plurality of times,

whereby the generator goes through a plurality of 50 successive operating cycles, and means effective during alternate cycles for preventing the transmission of impulses over said first circuit, thereby dividing the transmitted impulses into groups separated by spacing intervals.

2. In an impulse sender, a relay interrupter for transmitting control impulses, a train of counting relays, means comprising a pair of circuits for controlling said counting relays, the odd relays of said train of relays-being controlled over 6 one of said circuits and the even relays of said train of relays being controlled over the other of said circuits, means comprising a frequency changer for rendering said pair of circuits alternately active, means comprising said interrup ter for controlling said frequency changer. in accordance with impulses transmited by said interrupter, an outgoing control circuit over which said interrupter transmits impulses currently with the transmission of impulses to said frequency changer and during alternate impulsing cycles, means including said counting relays for determining the number of impulses transmitted over said control circuit, and means for controlsaid counting relays to vary the number of 7 impulses transmitted over said control circuit during successive operating cycles of said counting relays.

3. In an impulse sender, an impulse generator, means for operating said generator a plurality oi times, counting relays controlled by said generator, a stop relay for terminating the operation of said generator, means including a pair of conductors for controlling the operation of said stop counting relays, and means responsive to successive operations of said generator for switching said stop relay from one conductor to the other.

4. In an impulse sender, an impulse generator for transmitting a series of impulses, means including a' counting device for counting impulsestransmitted by said generator during each impulse series, means for starting said generator a plurality of times, means including said counting device for stopping said generator, means for restoring said counting device to normal each time said generator is stopped, and control means whereby on certain operations of said counting device the said counting device measures of! ln-' tervals between successive series of impulses.

5. In an impulse sender, an impulse generator for transmitting successive cycles of impulses, counting means, means including said generator for operating, during the transmission of each cycle of impulses, said countingmeans to determine the number of impulses to be transmitted for each cycle, a control circuit over which said generator transmits impulses, means for temporarily preventing operation of said generator each time said counting means has determined the number of impulses to be transmitted in a cycle, and means efiective during alternate impulse cycles for preventing the transmission of impulses over said circuit, thereby dividing the separated by spacing intervals.

6. In an impulse sender. a generator for transmitting successive series of local impulses and spaced series of outgoing impulses, means whereby each of said series of outgoing impulses is independently variable as to the number of impulses, a counting device for cooperating with said means to determine the number of outgoing impulses comprising each series, circuits interconnecting said generator and said counting device so ar-'- ranged that said generator and said counting device cooperate by means of said local impulses transmittedby said generator to limit the spacing interval between seriesof outgoing impulses relay in accordance with the operation of said impulses transmitted over said circuit into groups to a predetermined constant number of local impulses and to control said counting device to determine the number oi. impulses in outgoing impulse series during every other series of local impulses, and means for restoring the counting device to normal at the end of each of said outgoing impulse series and at the end of each spacing interval. 1

Lin an impulse sender for transmitting and counting successive trains of digit pulses, a group 01 digit pulse counting relays, a generator for transmitting outgoing digit pulses and for send ing local pulses to control the operation of said counting relays, digit conductors for registering digits in said counting relays whereby successive trains of outgoing digit pulses are each inde- .ing relays for restarting the transmission of digit pulses.

spaced series of digit impulses, a local and an outgoing circuit over which said impulses are transmitted by said generator, a relay counting device controlled by impulses transmitted over said local circuit, means includingsaid counting device whereby each transmitted series of outgoing impulses is independently variable as to the number of impulses, circuits interconnecting said generator and said counting device so arranged that said generator and said counting device cooperate by means of local impulses onlyto limit the number of local impulses transmitted during the spacing interval between the said-two spaced series of digit impulses to a predetermined constant number, means for preventing any impulses from being transmitted over said outgoing circuit during said spacing interval, and means for restoring said counting device to normal at the end of each outgoing impulse series and at the end of said spacing interval.

NORMAN H. SAUNDERS. HARRY G. EVERS.

8. An impulse generator for transmitting two- 

